1908 Summer Olympics / Athletics - Marathon (Men)

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Olympic rings
athletics
sport athletics
discipline Marathon run
gender Men
place Windsor Castle - White City Stadium
Attendees 56 athletes from 16 countries
Competition phase July 24, 1908
Medalist
gold gold John Hayes ( USA ) United States 46United States 
Silver medals silver Charles Hefferon ( RSA ) United Kingdom 1801United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland 
Bronze medals bronze Joseph Forshaw ( USA ) United States 46United States 

The men's marathon at the 1908 London Olympics was decided on July 24, 1908 at White City Stadium .

A distance of 25 miles was first measured from the White City Stadium. This only reached as far as the Barnespool Bridge in Eton . But since Windsor Castle had already been set as the starting point, the distance had to be lengthened by exactly one mile. If the length of the track had been retained, the race would have ended at the stadium entrance. So 385 yards had to be added to the finish in front of the royal box  . This resulted in 42.195 km. As more and more marathon events took over the London route length in the following years, the IAAF decided in May 1921 to officially set this down in the rules.

Under dramatic circumstances, which are described in more detail below, the American John Hayes became Olympic champion. The South African Charles Hefferon won the silver medal. Bronze went to the American Joseph Forshaw .

Records

Because the distances for marathons were not standardized at the time, records and top performances are to be seen with reservations. The unofficial world record was set in a race over 39 km, the Olympic record - depending on the reading - over 41.86 or 42 km. With the Olympic record the question arises whether the result of the Athens Interim Games of 1906 is included or whether only the results of the regular Olympic Games, which take place every four years, count. Both variants are shown in the following list.

World record Distance 39 km 2: 24: 24.0 h Canada 1868Canada Canada Tom Longboat 1907
Olympic record - counting with interludes Distance 41.86 km 2: 51: 23.6 h Canada 1868Canada Canada Billy Sherring Athens Marathon ( Greece ), May 1, 1906
Olympic record - counting without interludes Distance 42 km 2:58:50 h Kingdom of GreeceKingdom of Greece Greece Spyridon Louis Athens Marathon ( Greece ) April 10, 1896

The winning time in London is held as an Olympic record, as the route initially had the usual length of 42.195 kilometers and was thus longer than in all previous events including the interludes of 1906.

OR 2: 55: 18.4 United States 46United States United States John Hayes

Results

space athlete country Time (h)
1 John Hayes United States 46United States United States 2: 55: 18.4 OR
2 Charles Hefferon United Kingdom 1801United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland South Africa 2: 56: 06.0
3 Joseph Forshaw United States 46United States United States 2: 57: 10.4
4th Alton Welton United States 46United States United States 2: 59: 44.4
5 William Wood Canada 1868Canada Canada 3: 01: 44.0
6th Fred Simpson Canada 1868Canada Canada 3: 04: 28.2
7th Harry Lawson Canada 1868Canada Canada 3: 06: 47.2
8th John Svanberg SwedenSweden Sweden 3: 07: 50.8
9 Lewis Tewanima United States 46United States United States 3: 09: 15.0
10 Kalle Nieminen Finland Grand Principality 1883Grand Duchy of Finland Finland 3: 09: 50.8
11 Jack Caffery Canada 1868Canada Canada 3: 12: 46.0
12 William Clarke United Kingdom 1801United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Great Britain 3: 16: 08.6
13 Ernest Barnes United Kingdom 1801United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Great Britain 3: 17: 30.8
14th Sidney Hatch United States 46United States United States 3: 17: 52.4
15th Fred Lord United Kingdom 1801United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Great Britain 3: 19: 08.8
16 William Goldsboro Canada 1868Canada Canada 3: 20: 07.0
17th James Beale United Kingdom 1801United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Great Britain 3: 20: 14.0
18th Arnošt Nejedlý BohemiaBohemia Bohemia 3: 26: 26.2
19th Georg Lind Russian Empire 1883Russian Empire Russia 3: 26: 38.8
20th Willem Wakker NetherlandsNetherlands Netherlands 3: 28: 49.0
21st Gustaf Törnros SwedenSweden Sweden 3: 20: 20.8
22nd George Goulding Canada 1868Canada Canada 3: 33: 26.4
23 Julius Jørgensen DenmarkDenmark Denmark 3: 47: 44.0
24 Arthur Burn Canada 1868Canada Canada 3: 50: 17.0
25th Emmerich Rath Austria CisleithanienCisleithania Austria 3: 50: 30.4
26th Rudy Hansen DenmarkDenmark Denmark 3: 53: 15.0
27 George Lister Canada 1868Canada Canada 4: 22: 45.0
Victor Aitken AustralasiaAustralasia Australasia DNF
Tom Longboat Canada 1868Canada Canada
Fred Appleby United Kingdom 1801United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Great Britain
Jack Price United Kingdom 1801United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Great Britain
John Tait Canada 1868Canada Canada
Frederick Thompson United Kingdom 1801United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Great Britain
Henry Barrett United Kingdom 1801United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Great Britain
Fritz Reiser German EmpireThe German Imperium Germany
Alexander Duncan United Kingdom 1801United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Great Britain
Umberto Blasi Italy 1861Kingdom of Italy (1861-1946) Italy
Tom Jack United Kingdom 1801United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Great Britain
George Blake AustralasiaAustralasia Australasia
Joseph Lynch AustralasiaAustralasia Australasia
Albert Wyatt United Kingdom 1801United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Great Britain
Wilhelmus Braams NetherlandsNetherlands Netherlands
François Celis BelgiumBelgium Belgium
Eddie Cotter Canada 1868Canada Canada
Fred Noseworthy Canada 1868Canada Canada
Nikolaos Kouloumberdas Kingdom of GreeceKingdom of Greece Greece
Anastasios Koutoulakis Kingdom of GreeceKingdom of Greece Greece
George Buff NetherlandsNetherlands Netherlands
Aria Vosbergen NetherlandsNetherlands Netherlands
James Mitchell Baker United Kingdom 1801United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland South Africa
Johan Lindquist SwedenSweden Sweden
Seth Landquist SwedenSweden Sweden
Tom Morrissey United States 46United States United States
Michael J. Ryan United States 46United States United States
Dorando Pietri Italy 1861Kingdom of Italy (1861-1946) Italy DSQ

The run took place in sunshine and high temperatures. After the fifth mile led a group of six with four British, the Italian Dorando Pietri and the South African Charles Hefferon. But this group started the race too quickly and was gradually falling apart. At the front, Hefferon continuously expanded his lead and was 3:52 minutes ahead of Pietri after 20 miles (32.2 km). But Pietri suddenly accelerated, which leads to the suspicion that he was doped with strychnine sulfate. Hefferon collapsed unexpectedly after 22 miles (35.4 km), was overtaken by Pietri at mile 25 and a little later by John Hayes. Pietri arrived at the fully occupied White City Stadium with a big lead, only half a round of the stadium separated him from a certain Olympic victory. But he had exhausted himself completely, was dazed and initially turned in the wrong direction. When the referees showed him the right way to the goal, Pietri collapsed completely exhausted. He was able to get up again, but fell three more times in the last 350 meters. Ten meters from the finish he collapsed for the fifth time, whereupon he was pushed across the finish line by some sympathetic doctors and judges. 32 seconds after Pietri, Hayes also crossed the finish line.

Pietri had to be disqualified because of the unauthorized assistance, but received a gold cup from Queen Alexandra the following day for his performance. Olympic champion Hayes, who had received far less attention, was seated on a table by his American team-mates and carried around the stadium cheerfully.

The Sherlock Holmes author Arthur Conan Doyle wrote for the newspaper Daily Mail to announce a detailed and emotional account of this event, who did much the story of Dorando Pietri. At the same time, Doyle called for donations for the Italian. Doyle's dedication is likely the reason for the popular legend that he himself helped Pietri cross the finish line.

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